Not That Simple
by bettynoire
Summary: Konata has a thing for Kagami. Kagami has a thing for romance novels. Is there a place for romance between them? Yuri, R&R is greatly appreciated.


** Disclaimer:** Characters not mine.

This is from Konata's POV.

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I want to die every time I hear the little swishing sounds her legs make against each other, as she crosses and uncrosses her legs behind me. The TV is probably making it difficult for her to read, but frankly, if it wasn't, I would've jumped her by now. The sounds of explosions and reused enemy death dialogue is all that's keeping me sane.

She's started coming over on her own more – I mean, without Tsukasa. For the longest time, they had always come over together, but somehow Kagami and I got had gotten closer than everyone else in our group. It's strange because we seem so incompatible with each other, but it's like there's a silent understanding. I'll tease, she'll blush – at some point it became "I'll tease, she'll blush, I'll want to kiss the hell out of her." I'm not sure when.

She tells me I watch too much anime, and she's right. It ruins my image of how girls really are. Girls aren't as open to other girls in real life. Not the way I wish Kagami was.

God, she's so painfully straight.

Up down dodge shoot. Dodge shoot bomb. "Argh, medic!"

I know how she's sitting behind me; I had to start playing the game so I would stop staring at her earlier. She sits with her legs crossed, shoulders back, leaning on her left arm which is always straight against her side, emphasizing the curve of her hips and ass even more so by contrast. Her book is probably placed against her mouth, her sharp eyes watching my moves in the game with slight criticism. She likes shooting games.

"Konata," she begins, and the t sound makes me think of her tongue. I answer quickly, trying to ignore it.

"Mm?" As if I could be coherent just yet.

"You seem really focused today."

"Nah, I just haven't played this in a while." I actually hadn't – I had remembered I wanted to unlock a character last night. I put off doing it 'til today. I knew she'd come to hang out. "Is it too loud?"

"No," she stops for a second and sighs a little. "Actually, yeah but I was at a boring part. Honestly, I hate when the author will spend pages on just the setting." She clicks her tongue against her cheek. Damn her mouth.

"I know what you mean," I laugh a bit, taking the opportunity to pause the game. "It's like in anime when they cut away from the mech battle to show to politics behind it." I turn and smirk at her, and speak as if she has already agreed with me. She hates that. "It's like, 'show the explosions!' "

I know this face – I've seen it a hundred times. She knits her brow, she frowns just a little, and her eyes narrow the slightest bit. "I kind of understand what you mean," she says, unamused, "but really, why do you have to make such weird comparisons?" She shakes her head slightly.

"Because I know you'll agree with me anyway." I cross my legs in front of me, my feet touching sole to sole as I give in to myself and turn to face her directly from my position on the floor. She frowns and puts her book down next to her, looking down her nose at me. I smirk at her, knowing that my expression is a convenient mask for the blatant admiration in my eyes. At least I hope it is. She only sighs – "You're totally hopeless, honestly."

I am.

"What are you reading?" I tilt my head curiously as I change the subject. She's wearing her overall shorts today – one of her favorite outfits, actually. It's slightly boyish – the long sleeved dress shirt and tie make her look almost dashing. The image mixes nicely with how utterly feminine she actually is.

"Oh... well," she blushes heavily, and my interest is suddenly piqued. My smirk grows mischievous as I lean forward, placing my hands on my bare feet in front of me.

"It's a trashy romance, isn't it?"

"Do I look like a housewife to you?! It's...!" she stops yelling and her blush deepens as she looks away. "Just... a _normal_ ro-romance."

"Kagamin is so cuuuuute!" I can't help it. It's too true to not say. She pouts grumpily, crossing her arms.

"It's normal, isn't it?!" she protests loudly, refusing to look at my face. "Besides this one's really popular, I just wanted to see what it was."

"Ok." My sudden answer seems to confuse her a second, as if she expected something more. Which, of course, there is. "What is it then?" I prod her, knowing getting her to explain it will make her even more flustered.

"It's... you know. There's a girl who likes... this. Uhm," she pauses and her blush deepens. "You know. Typical kind of schoolgirl crush story."

Oh man, now I'm really curious. "Kagamin," my tone is a drawling tease, and I can't help the grin on my face. "You really are reading a trashy romance, aren't you." I start to slink toward her on all fours, ready to pounce and get a look at the book for myself. She slides it closer to her side, her hand resting protectively on top of it.

"It_isn't_," she's insistent, but she should know by now that I'm impossible to distract when it comes to the possibility of her being perverted. Not that she would guess my reasoning behind it. And definitely not the way I can guess how right I am by the look on her face, the way she's shrinking away back onto the bed. I move forward even more.

"I bet I'm right," I adopt a sing song tone. "Kagami's reading dirty scenes with other people in the room! How shameless you are!"

"I am not!" I choose exactly that moment to pounce, and she squeaks in terror and surprise, having only just enough time to hold the book over her head as she falls backwards. Straddling her lap, I lean over her, reaching with one hand for the book with my other on the covers next to her head. She tries both sitting up and kicking her legs to unbalance me, but I do know kung-fu after all – I'm stronger than she expects, despite being so small.

"Konata, get off me! It's not...! You don't need to..!" She changes her mind before finishing her sentences as she fights me off. The only thing keeping me away from her book is her height, and the fact that I don't actually want to win. Well, that's not exactly true – I do want to see the book, but I want to be touching Kagami more than that. It's not every day I get a beautiful tsundere struggling underneath me, and I'm resolved to enjoy this while I can.

"Kagami's reading about schoolgirls getting it onnnn" I sing playfully as I allow my hands to just barely graze the edge of the book, making her strain her chest desperately upward to gain as much length as possible. She's shaking a little from trying to keep it going. I can feel her breath on my neck and chest. Jesus, this is heaven. HEAVEN.

"Mmf... It's not... like thaaaat," she whines, and I love how desperate she sounds. A little too much. I can't help but wriggle a little on top of her, creating the illusion that I might lose – which of course makes her fight more. She stops holding the book with both hands and tries to upset me with her right hand, trying to push me away at the shoulders, but she doesn't have any good leverage in her position and I can just lean my weight forward to thwart her efforts.

My body is on autopilot, reacting on more than fighter's instinct. I don't even want the book anymore – I just want to pin her down, but I know I can't do that so I just keep dragging it out. I'm too aware of the fact that her hand is still against my chest despite its failure, only the barest bit above my breast. Move it down move it down MOVE IT DOWN.

I outlast her finally, after a good many minutes of intense struggling (and an eon on that fine line between heaven and hell), she slumps beneath me, panting slightly, not used to the exercise. Both our faces are flushed. One of the suspender straps of her shorts is off her shoulder. Her tie is flipped up next to her face, matching the redness of her skin. I can't stop thinking about using it for things wholly unrelated to fashion. On all fours above her vulnerable figure, I'm just looking at her, and her eyes are shut, not wanting to look at me and damn I'm pausing too long I can't be looking at her like this she'll know somethings up.

"I'll take that!" I cry triumphantly, and snatch the book out of her hands, but I don't get off her lap when I sit back up. I'm not giving that up yet. I open up to a random page and start reading, only just barely processing the words until, like a punch from Eva-01, the realization hits me.

"...Ka-Kagami..." Her hands are hiding her face, but her ears are burning red. "Are..." I change my mind before I betray my intentions. "This is yuri, isn't it?"

"...Yes."

"You..." I stop myself again. That doesn't mean anything, she could've bought it without knowing. Book covers and reviewers can lie – I would know. That's part of being otaku. "Did you know that when you bought it?"

"No!" Frantic.

"...You're really far in." Her dog eared page leaves only about a fourth of it left.

"...I always finish the books I buy."

"You didn't want to return it when you realized?"

"...No."

I pause, a little lost for words. "I guess it must be really good." I laugh not a little awkwardly, my head automatically going to ruffle the hair on the back of my head self-consciously. She nods, finally taking her hands away from her face. She looks relieved, but still too embarrassed to look me in the eye. Which is fine because I feel like my face is probably too revealing for comfort right now. There's a long awkward pause where neither of us move or say anything as she sits up.

"Could... uh," she clears her throat, "could you get off my lap now?"

"Oh!" I stiffen, realizing that I had totally forgotten the position I was in. Oh man, this is awkward. I slide off her lap and sit on the bed next to her in a smooth, quick motion. Looking down at my feet, I decide to act as normal as I can. The more awkward I am, the more worried she'll get that there's something wrong. Especially since I usually am not fazed by anything.

It's hard to not be fazed when you realize there's a small possibility the girl you like might not be as straight as you thought. Really, really hard.

"Hey, you know, I watch Marimite, and Strawberry Panic and stuff." I lean forward, trying to peek up into her lowered face so she can see that I'm not uncomfortable. I place my hands on the bed so that the side of my left touches the side of her right, the smallest gesture of supportive affection that I'll allow myself just now. "It's not weird."

"That," she's laughing and the air already feels lighter, "is somehow not convincing at all, coming from you." She finally catches my eye, giving me playfully stern glare. "Otaku shouldn't claim they know the difference between weird and normal."

I huff a little proudly and put my fist to my chest in a gesture of conviction. "No way! Otaku need to know the difference, or they wouldn't be able to spot their kind!"

"Yeah that's-...Wait a sec! Are you trying to lump me in with you?" She looks a little horrified, and I'm glad for it. She's well enough to quip back at me, though her face is still flushed. I just grin at her, turning playful again, as I poke her in the side.

"Being my best friend doesn't already lump you in with me?" I poke her in the side, and she turns away, a little flustered. That's the first time I've called her that out loud. It's true, and it's safe – I have no problem saying it.

"S-shut up. It's not the same."

"I love when you get all deredere, Kagami," I pet her head, and can't help but smile as she crosses her arms, getting huffy again, though she doesn't shake me off.

"Don't talk about nerdy things I won't understand," she snaps, automatically, but I know she actually gets it. She understands me more than she's willing to admit. I tilt my head and catch her eye, my usual smirk relaxing into simple affection. She's so fragile. Moments like this, when she's vulnerable, are what I like best. She's so guarded that her moments of softness seem so much more gentle and sweet because of it. Kagami is a study in contrasts – a true, real life tsundere.

"Hey, I'm pretty bored with my game. Wanna head into the kitchen?" Her eyes light up. "You can taste the cookie batter." I grin, knowing she'll love the idea, and, obviously, she does. She quickly adjusts her clothes and tightens the bows in her hair before tugging me off the bed impatiently. She forgets to let go of my hand for a second after I stand, and I cherish the moment of warmth.

I'm the one to break contact and lead the way, not able to look at her honestly just yet. I'm trying my best to be perfectly ok for her sake, but it's really not true. She's just unintentionally given me the cruelest gift possible.

Hope.

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** Author's Note:** I think I want to continue this but I'm not sure where I'm going to go with it. This is the first draft which may get edited a bit later on, if I think I can word some things a little better.

I'm a little out of my element since I'm not used to writing things in first person or dealing more with the development of a relationship instead of just plain innocent longing or the opposite end of the spectrum, sex. It's pretty scary for me, actually. I'd really appreciate any comments you guys might want to make about this, and especially if you think it's good enough for there to be more, let me know.


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